Well tool



l, GETTY WELL TOOL Filed April 2l, 1922 Zin/um 1 To@ Patented July 22, 1924.

FRED I. GETTY, or JENNTNGs', LoUIsIANrL WELL moon Application led April 21, 192.2. Serial No. 555,895. I

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED I. GETTY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing atJennings,`in the parish of Jeii'erson Davis and State of Loulsiana, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Well Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to well tools, and has as an object the provision of a tool for use in side-tracking. A further object of the invention is the provision of a tool which will cut an opening in the side of the well casing of such a nature that a strainer with liner attached can be lowered therethrough without danger of hanging up on the edges of the opening.

An illustrative embodiment of the inv-en-A tion is shown in the accompanying drawing, in whichf) Fig.v 1 is a detail vertical section through the lower portion of a well, showing a strainer in place. v

Fig. 2 is alike view showing the operationd of side-tracking as heretofore .practice Fig. 4 is a sidev elevation, partly in section, upon a larger scale, showing a tool prov vided by the presentl invention, with parts broken out to shorten the ligure.

w Fig. 5` is -a detail side elevation partly sand. The sand about the strainer 12, and.

the'strainer itself, frequently become clogged with -param asp alt or other heavy components of the o1 so as to render the well non-productive.

It has been common practice with-such non-productive wells as referred to, to sidetrack the liner, as shown in Fig. '2 av whipstock 13 having been lowered into lace in the well casing. e The whi stock, as s own in Fig.'2, tapers to a v'thin e ge'14 at its upper portion, this portion bemg preferably con- Fig. 3 is a like view showing the use of a tool embodying the present invention.A

or through other causes,-

cavedas indicated by the dotted line at 15'. The drill stem 16 having a milling cutter 17 at its lower end is then lowered until the cutter is in contact'with the whipstock which cams the cutter against the side of the well caslng 10 and upon revolution of the drill stem 16 and by feeding it down in the usual way an opening willbe made in the side of the well casing 10, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

This opening at its best has often given trouble when a strainer is lowered therethrough, since the edges of the opening are too abrupt to avoid danger-of hanging up of the strainer when lowere Y.

The abruptness of the opening is lobjectionable also, on account of the da-nger of breaking or twisting off the .drill stem, which is more or less bent or curved where it passes through this milled opening, and when rotating under the strain while drilling down to the bottom of the well preparatory to setting the strainer it may break or twist oil". v

It is objectionable further for the reason down in the liner while the well was being pumped. y

To avoid this danger the present invention provides the tool illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, wherein a hollow rod 11 is provided with a plurality of millin cutters 18 19, 20, 21, four being shown. greater or less v'number than that illustrated may be provided upon a single tool. Y

To permit of the application of the cutters to the. rod the rod is formed with a series of oii'sets growing successively smalleras the lowerend is approached. The lower end of each successively different diameter is threaded, the thread preferably being of the nature of a pipe thread, which is tapering, as indicated upon the interior of the cutter at -22 in Fi 5. Therefore a cutter 21, being Vapplied rst, will pass freely over each of the sections 23', 24, 25 and 26 .to .en-

age with the thread upon the lower end of .t e section 27 and each successive cutter will pass freely to its appropriate thread. Q Preferably the vsuccessive cutters as the lQWer end of the tool is approached, are

made with thicker walls and wider cutting edges, so that the outside diameter of each is the same. The cutters are provided with milling teeth 28 which project at^ the pe/ riphcry of the circle, and also at the. bottom edge ot' the tool, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

A flattened drill bit 29 is preferably provided upon the end of the tool andthe rod 17 is preferably made with av hollow 30 having an outlet, or outlets, at 31 in the' drill bit whereby water may be passed through the rod to assist in the drilling and milling operation if desired.

The rod 17 is preferably made in two sections, on account of' the great convenience in handling and transportation. The rod is `therefore screwed together at some intermediate point preferably in this case about 18 vfeet above its lower end; the form of the union being referably such as shown at 32. The said rodp 17 should be provided with a coupling 34 at its lower end and a coupling 35 at its upper end. These couplings should be nearly or quite as large in diameter as the milling cutters, and in' fact both the milling cutters andthe couplings should be as large as possible and passsafely down through the well casing 10.

The drill bit 29 should not bel larger across its greatest width than the diameter of the coupling 34, as this coupling, cylindrical in external form, bears against. the concave surface of the side-tracker 13and serves as a journal or bearing in supporting the rotation of the rod 17. A similar function is performed by the coupling 35 at the upper end of the rod where it rotates inside the well casing 10.

After an opening has been formed by the tool 17 in the usual manner of side-tracking, the tool provided by the present invention may be lowered into the well, revolved and fed down in the usual way, whereupon its length and plurality of cutters will so act upon the already formed opening through the well casing that Yit will be greatly increased in length and allow vof more gradual change from the vertical within the wellcasing to the new. position outside.

thereof when the strainer is lowered into place. The opening is not only enlarged as described but the tool. may be used in drilling the earth outside of the wellY cas,

ing by virtue of the bit 29 while the milling cutters are acting upon the walls of the well casing. The combination of the drill bitb29 with the milling cutters is therefore of lmportance.

A desirable overall length of the tool, for a six inch well, the usual size considered standard, is from 28 to 30 feet. When the tool has been operated and they opening com-- pleted therewith the opening will be such as to permit the passage through of a solid bar of steel of the length mentioned, and as `,ferent diameters decreasing as the lower exwhich will ensure that any shorter object,

such as a strainer, will pass without any dificulty. The greatest amount of cutting will naturally be accomplished by the lowest cutter, certainly with the two lowest cutters. Since these cutters have the greatest amount of work to do, the reduced diameter, at thenA lower end of the ro'd, provides for greater extension radially of their teeth, which is a great advantager in taking a deep cut. The successive increases in diameter of the rod 17 will result in a considerable lightening thereof over what it. would have been if the greatest diameter were carried to the lower end. Since the tendency toward exure is greatest at the center ofthe rod, the successive increases in diameter will result in the greatest strength being provided in the middle portion where it is needed, without undue Weight. In the event that the use of the vtool 17 has resulted in a tendency to crookedness of the opening through the well casing the long straight rod provided by the invention will cure', and correct such defect completely. With an opening provided by the tool of the present invention the strainer and-liner placed in its new position, will depart from the vertical alignment of the well casing so gradually as to be practically im- `perceptible, so far as redrilling oroperation ofthe well is concerned.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A well tool comprising a rod, a plurality of metal cutting milling cutters longitudinally spaced upon said rod.

2. A well tool comprising a rod, a plurality of internally threaded metal cutting milling cutters, longitudinally spaced upon said rod and attached thereto.

3. A well tool comprising a rod having successive loffsets in its surface providing portions of dlferet diameters, a metal cutting milling cutter at the lower endof each portion whereby to enlarge an openlng in a well casing. v

4. A well tool comprising a rod, having successive offsets in its surface providing` portions' of different diameters, a millin cutter threaded to the lower end of eac portion whereby to enlarge 'an openingin a well casing.

5. A well tool comprising, in combination, a rod having a drill bit at its lower extremity and a plurality of longitudinally spaced netal cutting mllling cutters above said it. 4 6. A well tool comprising, in combination, a rod having a plurality of portions of difa tremity is apiroaehed, a milling cutter at the lower en of each portion, the radial extent of the milling teeth increasing upon the downwardly succeeding cutters.

7 A. well tool comprising, in combination, a rod having a plura ity'of portions of different diameters decreasin toward the lower end of the tool, a meta cutting milling cutter at the lower end of each portion and a drill bit at the lowest end of the tool.

8. A well tool comprising, in combination, a rod havinga plurality of portions of different diameters decreasing as the lower extremity is approached, a hollow cylindrical milling tool having cuttin teeth upon its periphery and upon its en wall aliixed to the ower end of each portion, the outer diameter of the cutters being substantially' equal wherebyQthe'radial extent of the cutting teeth upon the lower end of the milling toos increases'toward thelower end of the too 9. A well tool comprising, in combination, a rod having a plurality of portions of different diameters decreasing as the lower extremity is approached, a hollow cylindrical milling tool having cutting teeth u on its periphery and upon its end wall axed to the lower end of each portion, the outer diameter of the cutters being substantially equal whereby the radial extent of the cutv tin teeth upon the lower end of the milling too s increases toward the lower end of the tool, a drill bit on the extremity of the smallest portion.

FRED I. GETTY. 

